A Name for Ourselves
by Gamerwhogames
Summary: (Episode 5) When Aiden loses his best friend Lukas to longtime rival Jesse, he decides to get revenge on Jesse and steal something from him. But when his thievery leads him and his Blaze Rods to the magical land of Sky City, chaos ensues when he lets his bloodlust, pain and hunger for power get in the way of friendship. What is to become of the citizens of Sky City?
1. Musing

**Hello, everyone! I'm supposed to write this essay for school. It has to be about situational irony, and literature. Well, with a little bit of rulebending, I have the rights to write this! So now, I'm going to write an essay that I'll (heck, yea!) use in FFN! I give you, "A Name for Myself". Be warned, though. This has lots of mentions of murder and heavy spoilers for Episode 5 and Minecraft: Ocelot Mode. So, you've been warned! Hit it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: But isn't this a school-assignment? Am I allowed to hit it?**

 **Me: Let me see. Rules: No biting, no cheating, no lying, no eating folks... Yep! You're clear!**

 **Crisper: Okay! (hits it)**

 **PS: WARNING! MAJOR SPOILERS FOR MINECRAFT: OCELOT MODE AND MC:SM EPISODE 5! ALSO, FEELZ! WATCH OUT FOR THE FEELS AND IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SPOIL MINECRAFT: OCELOT MODE OR MC:SM EPISODE 5, RUN VERY FAR AWAY!**

 **PPS: SPOILERS FOR THIS STORY! This contains HUUUGE SPOILERS for this story. If you don't want to be spoiled, skip to chapte 5 "Something About Apples". That's where this story actually begins.**

* * *

So, I'll start from the beginning. Even up till now, my life hadn't been the best one. I'm _not_ about to get into that. I'm only allowed a book's worth sheets of paper, and my writings have to get checked by guards, y'know, to avoid any "escape plans" or things like that. Not only am I limited as far as resources, I also don't want them to know about my personal past. At least not while I'm stuck here. It's amazing that I still want to write, though, despite someone reading over my every word as I write. Maybe I'm just that bored. No, desperate is probably a better word.

But let's not get too into that.

I started hanging out with Lukas a few years back before all of... this. I really liked him. He appreciated me... or so I _thought_. But as much of a jerk he turned out to be, we had some good times. Then along came another guy, Gill. I wasn't exactly sure why Lukas let Gill tag along, and I wasn't too fond of him at first. He was... loud. But I don't regret Lukas's choice. He's a great friend now, as is Maya. They're my _only_ friends.

Maya came along much later. Now I was more than ready to let her join the gang, for some... interesting reasons... but it was only much later when I developed actual reasons to like her.

So there we were: The Ocelots.

We weren't much different, but if we bonded anyhow, it was definitely through building. That's also the reason Lukas was our leader. He made the ideas, we made them happen.

I liked it. We were at the top, but I guess I was a bit too at the top of things. Long story short, I saw everyone as competition. So when Jesse and his friends came along, man, I let them have it. They became like my own personal woodstack. When my day wasn't going well, I'd flame them. It became a common practice. Lukas didn't like it much. It was one of the big things we _didn't_ have in common with Lukas, 'we' being Gill, Maya and me.

And along came the Witherstorm. We didn't quite survive, though we held out for a good little time before everything _really_ went to hell in a handbasket.

While Maya, Gill and I were still wandering away from that Witherstorm, we realized just how much we missed that guy. He was pretty much the only thing holding us together, even with the way I treated Jesse and his friends like dirt. We swore that if we found Lukas we'd never let him go again. And later, we all died. We got sucked into that thing.

I swear, I still have nightmares. It was so darn horrifying in that thing. It was dark, painful, I couldn't breathe. It was like being in hell. I couldn't remember it after Jesse saved everyone from it, but the day that memory came rushing back I was never the same emotionally.

Then, we were back on Minecraftia again. Jesse, somehow, destroyed that thing. Believe me, despite this, I'm still grateful to him.

Maya, Gill and I have clung together since.

After a few weeks, Gill finally found Lukas. We were so happy. I even forgot about Jesse. Who cared about one nobody when you'd just died, came back and found your best friend? I sure didn't. Maya wouldn't stop crying about it. But I couldn't blame her. None of us could. I can't really write about how it felt just seeing him again. It was so... surreal. Was he really there? For a while, I couldn't even move to hug him. It was so unbelievable. He was right there.

We celebrated for days. Literally.

A few days later, I noticed that something wasn't right. Lukas was really distant. Kept shrugging us off like he had better things to do. He told us that he was volunteering as a builder, y'know to help restore everything the Witherstorm had destroyed. That was okay. It was good.

Until he stopped spending even his freetime with us.

We might've just been clingy and he needed his space, but each day it was like we were seeing less and less of him. And his belongings around the house. I suspected that he was moving out, which he was. When I asked him where he'd been going one night, he told us the truth.

He'd been hanging out with Jesse and _his_ friends.

That made me... mad, you could say. Like, not mad as in angry. Mad as in 'mad in the head', that kind of thing. And mostly the angry kind of mad, too.

Recently, I'd heard, Jesse and his friends Axel, Olivia and Petra had become "The New Order of the Stone" or whatever. They went around, exploring new places, doing things the Old Order did, like keeping the public peace, and, most of all, treasure hunting. As if I wasn't irked that the victim of my childish rivalry was just skipping around the world claiming its treasures as his own, this blew my cap.

He just decided 'Hey, I collect treasures. Why don't I collect people, too?'. And so he decided that Lukas was on his 'to collect' list. But I don't entirely blame him, as much as I actually blame him.

It was Lukas that really ticked me off.

He knew what we'd been through, even before the Witherstorm. And even after our way-too-near-death encounter he hadn't learned a thing. I guess we just weren't any good for him any more. He hadn't joined Jesse and his gang until _after_ they became the New Order. So was he even really into us in the first place, or was it just because he thought we were cool? Were we really ever true friends?

So, Lukas completely abandoned us for some fancied up has-been misfits. Now that they fit in even better than we as Ocelots had (I'll admit that much), he decided to buddy up with them. Even if that meant leaving us in the dust.

And that's how Maya and Gill became my real friends. They could've just rubbed shoulders with Jesse and did the whole 'I'm sorry let's be friends' act, the same way Lukas had. But they decided to stick with me. Why? I'm not sure. I didn't have anything to give them, and look at where I landed them. Jail. But they still want to stick around. Me-from-the-past would probably be calling them stupid right now, but I think it's because they genuinely care about me. So I care about them, too. I just wish I'd made some better choices since then.

First on my list was to get back at Jesse. I'd pretty much owned Lukas the same night, you might say. I still don't regret that.

And so we became Blaze Rods, because we'd make Jesse and Lukas burn for what they did to us.

Maya, Gill and I started planning some revenge. Since Jesse was so fancy-prance and all that, we thought we'd need to do something just as flashy to get his attention. And, boy, we sure did. Even if we went way over the top...

I started by getting Gill to do a bit of eavesdropping on Jesse's "mentor" Ivor. He came back and told us that Jesse was going to be finding some sort of treasure at a temple in the jungle. My plan was to get there ahead of time, get the treasure for ourselves, and roll up on Jesse and show off. The first night didn't go as planned, but the following day, with a bit more eavesdropping from _all three_ of us, we ambushed Jesse at this golden portal.

Long story short, we stole the portal-key, as we soon learned it was called, lit the portal, and wound up in a new place we hadn't been before.

I wasn't expecting that, but boy were we happy as larks! Whatever larks _are_...

It was a whole new place for my friends and I to make a lasting name for ourselves. And that's exactly what we did. We bored a name into these folks heads'. A name they wouldn't forget.

A few lies later, I was a murderer. Well, _almost_ , but I had a murderer's intent. A few weeks ago, when I'd kicked Isa, Jesse and Lukas over the edge, it was only savage satisfaction that came with the thought, but now it's terror. I didn't know I would go as far as killing. I only knew that the Void was a place of eternal nothingness. Anything that went in would be gone forever. I only knew that I wanted that kind of fate for Lukas, Isa and Jesse, even if I regret it now. It still fazes me that I'd really go that far. I never thought of myself as a killer until now. Now I can't forget, even if my victims survived me. Thank Notch there was land down there. I can't handle this now, even if they're alive...

Moving along, I started my tyrannical reign, having had killed the queen along with (guesss who) Jesse and Lukas. I still can't believe I tried to kill three people including my first friend, even if he turned out to be a backstabbing cheat. I'm quite far from justified.

I left Maya and Gill to their own devices, allowing them to do whatever they wanted to get their anger out and to tear apart the citizens. I don't know what it was I was trying to do then. I sure didn't know at the time either. I was king for a few minutes and everything was going awry. How typical. That was just the way it went after Lukas left. Leader for the rest of the night and things already were going downhill. Pretty much my life in a few words.

Reginald tried to yell some sense into me, but I didn't listen. Besides, there was no turning back. I'm surprised, though. I'd been expecting him to tear me to pieces, but I guess he didn't have a sword. Besides, I _do_ remember threatening to kick him into what I thought was the Void, like I'd done Jesse, Lukas and his king the Founder. I'm quite aware that he saw nothing in me, no potential, no hope. The only thing he saw in me was the sword at my side. The thing I could've killed him with if I wanted his death to be swift at least.

But then Jesse showed up. He always had to show up, didn't he? I was screaming mad at him, literally. I just wanted him to die. I screamed that at his face a couple of times, too. Plus, I'd killed him once. I was more than ready to do it twice. Now, that just scares me. It only adds to the pile of things that keep my sleep riddled with nightmares, if I can sleep at all.

We clashed for a few minutes, him with his sword and I with mine. Of course, Jesse emerged victorious, kicking my butt again and all. That was terrifying. There was no way for me to defend myself from him, and we were on another edge of that city in the sky. I was subjected to the same death I had presented him with: Getting pushed into the void.

It was horrifying. I still remember begging for my life, on my knees. I don't know where Maya or Gill were at that moment. Wherever they were, I knew it was my fault. If they were dead, it was my fault. If they were caught by Jesse's other friends, it would be my fault. If they had slipped too close to an edge and fell, to be forgotten by all except me, it would be my fault.

Everything going wrong was my fault that day.

Just looking into Jesse's eyes made shivers run down my spine. I had never seen him so powerful. It was almost always I who held the upper hand. This was such a new, deadly sensation, something I just wanted to be over and through with. He just stared at me, musing. I could literally only wait for his reply, seeing Reginald glaring at me from behind Jesse. It wasn't a pretty sight, even though I get to see it every hour a guard in regal gold passes me by.

I remember his endless death stare pinned on my soul. It drowned out even the cry of Ghasts as they floated off behind us to destroy more and more of the city. Finally, he moved. I don't remember feeling more unsure in my life, and I'm a really insecure person. He grabbed me by the arm and dragged me up, and if anyone would say 'iron grip', I'd tell him that Jesse's grip was about as brutal as a snake's fangs closing down on my arm. He looked downright venomous.

He threw me into one of the waterfalls that would take me to the Void. I remember breaking into tears, begging him for my life. I wasn't even speaking fine English at that point. I couldn't. I just wanted to go home and be finished with whatever it was I had decided to do. I asked him to reconsider, to think about his decision. To kill me made perfect sense. I deserved it from the man I tried to murder, but the words that came out of my mouth were 'Please, don't be rash about this'. As if he was the rash one at that point. And so he let me go, literally. Leaving his mark on my life, as well as my physical body.

At this point, I don't even know what would've been better, had I died from the stab wound and then the impact of hitting the bottom, or living. I think, though, that the best choice has nothing to do with that. I think my best choice was to give up trying to be better than Jesse. I should've left alone the man who killed the Witherstorm.

So now I have exactly what I thought I wanted. A name for myself in Sky City.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Crisper: I'll be taking over the Author's Note. A little bit into the narrative, Gamer (the Aiden-sympathizer she is) lost it. No joke. Tears were shed.**

 **Me: *loud crying* I FORGIVE YEH!**

 **Crisper: So... tell me what you thought about this. It's supposed to be something for school, so leave a review about that too. I'll tell her when she's finished weeping her face out. If you forgive Aiden or any of the Blaze Rods, tell us in a review! Eh, I guess I should close it then. (closes it)**

 **Me: WAAAITT! If you want another chapter in which one of the guards reads over Aiden's work and talks to Aiden about it, leave a positive review!**


	2. Something About Apples

**Author's Note:**

 **If you are reading this (and I know you are!), it's a rule of thumb to consider all previous chapters of this story as preview chapters. This chapter marks the actual beginning of the book! That should get rid of any confusion. Now onto that savvy introduction I was going to give you all!**

 ***Dramatic music plays***

 **From the streets of Södermalm, all the way to ma lil' house in the suburbs o' Texas, I give you, with millions of peaches and colors, the world's first elite edition of, drumroll, please-**

 **Crisper: (drumrolls with pencils on desk)**

 **Me: "A Name for Ourselves", but** _ **novelized**_ **.**

 **Crisper: Oooh! When does it start?**

 **Me: Right now! Hit it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (hits it)**

* * *

"Do you remember that?" Gill asked, pointing to another picture of himself, Aiden, Maya and Lukas after winning again at Endercon, another memory Aiden couldn't truly claim as his own. The brunette strained to look at the picture past the glare from the bright afternoon sun reflecting on the page.

In the picture, he was about a year or two younger, wearing a white and blue striped-tee but no jacket. None of them wore the famous ocelot-jacket in the picture, making him guess the age of the picture. Even Gill's beard wasn't as fully grown as it was now. He stood next to the loud, rowdy man, Gill, the slightly shorter and high-spirited girl Maya, and the blonde, cheery one Lukas. He didn't feel like he knew them as well as they claimed he did.

"Not really." Aiden answered, sounding slightly upset.

"Whaddya mean 'not really?" He asked.

"Like, I, um… I only know what happened because of what you told me and... I… I don't remember it on my own." He said, completely turning away from the book and resting his head in his hands.

"Oh..." Gill said disquieted. "You wanna try looking at some more?" He asked hopefully. Aiden shook his head, still staring at the floor with discouragement.

"I've p-pretty much memorized the whole book by now... I don't think it'd help any." He mumbled quietly.

"Okay, then." Gill said, giving Aiden an understanding look as he closed the book. Thinking it would be helpful, Gill had made sure that they both sat down once a day to spend at least an hour of their time studying the long-drawn-out scrapbook together. He undoubtedly anticipated that Aiden would soon get frustrated and bored after a week or two of hearing the same stories and looking at the same pictures each day, but didn't want to be the person to give him the idea of quitting.

Hearing a door quietly open, the men turned around as Maya arrived in the small, neat living room from her bedroom.

"Hey, guys." She cheerfully greeted, plopping down on the couch between Aiden and Gill. "So... how's everything going?" She asked, eyeing the scrapbook that lay askew in Gill's lap. She felt Gill's callous hand gently touch her arm. He mouthed 'no' to her question and she nodded quickly, hoping Aiden hadn't heard her. She barely glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, surprised to see him looking directly at her with a slight frown.

"Okay, then... um… nice weather, huh?" She asked. She instantly regretted her awkward attempt at starting a lighter conversation when she felt Gill stiffen up beside her while Aiden looked away.

"Yeah… does... does anyone have plans for the day?" Aiden asked, trying to draw the attention off of himself and onto a lighter topic.

"Actually, yes. The guys need some more help with the rebuilding project." Gill replied loudly and quickly.

"So you'll be going out again?" Maya asked, looking directly at him.

"Actually, they need extra help, so you'll have to come with me today, Maya." He said.

"Oh..." She said with an unwilling frown.

"It's alright. It's probably just for today." Gill said, squeezing her. She couldn't fight the small smile that came from his embrace. Aiden nervously shifted on the couch, glad when Gill noticed him quickly. "You think you'll be okay alone?" He asked.

"Oh, sure. I'll be fine." Aiden said.

"Okay, then." Gill replied as he stood to his feet to stretch. The couch lifted up some, relieved from the weight of both boys and Maya sitting there. "We'll be back around ten." He said quickly, hoping Maya wouldn't quite hear him.

"Ten?!" Maya shouted, shaken up by the long hours she was expected to work. "There is _no_ way I'm doing work that long!" She shouted as Gill walked her to the door. Aiden reclined into the couch when he heard the door open signaling their departure.

"Oh, Maya, you should probably… leave your jacket here." He heard Gill say in a cautious voice. Aiden frowned slightly, wondering why she'd have to take off her jacket. By the concern and worry in his voice, Aiden knew Gill probably wasn't referencing bad weather. So what was it? He heard soft shuffling at the door as Maya took off her black-leather jacket, dropping it near the door before their footsteps tracked outside the door which closed soon after.

Aiden sighed with relief when he heard the door close. He knew that some alone time would do him good, giving him some space from the responsibility of fighting his amnesia.

He ran his hand along the brown, leather couch, boredly picking at the thick thread holding the material together.

"What am I gonna do today?" He sighed to himself, standing from the couch and stretching. He thought for a moment, but could only come up with a few things he could've done and many activities he didn't feel up to. "Exploring" town and getting lost was one thing that was definitely _not_ on his to-do list.

He walked through the living room, running his hand along the plain walls. He sometimes glanced down at the few chests being an eyesore on the carpeted floor. He stopped, kneeling down to open one.

He pulled out a small paper card, turning it over to see a picture of someone who looked nothing like himself. Instead of his own rich, olive-green eyes and brunette hair, the man in the picture had aegean-blue eyes and blonde hair. He was also slightly taller and wore different clothes than Aiden. Not remembering the boy's face, much less his name, Aiden put the picture back and stood to his feet to continue walking down the hall.

He barely walked for three seconds before he bumped into a stranger in the house. His eyes shot up to the face of the person, meeting with the same eyes he had seen from the picture, but they were not a welcome sight in his home.

He shouted in surprise and aggression, knocking the stranger to the floor and jumping right on top of him, grabbing him by the shirt collar and pinning him to the ground.

"Aiden, stop! It's me!" The other man yelled, shielding his face when Aiden drew back a fist ready to punch.

"How do you know my name?!" Aiden demanded harshly, his voice loud and aggressive.

"I'm your friend, Aiden! It's me, Lukas!" He yelled back.

"How come I've never seen you before?" Aiden contested while Lukas squirmed beneath him.

"I'm always out of the house. I have work." He quickly explained as Aiden's eyes fixated on Lukas's face, studying him closely. "I've got the jacket, okay?" Lukas said, twisting to the side just enough for Aiden to see the face of an ocelot barely peeking from the side. Aiden's gruff, livid scowl instantly melted and he sighed with relief as he crawled off of Lukas, sitting at his feet.

"Sorry." He briefly shrugged as Lukas sat up.

"It's alright." He replied, hissing softly as he rubbed his painful back. Lukas was glad the defining factor of wearing the jacket popped into his mind then. "Guess I really got the jump on you." He said, making Aiden chuckle a bit while he laughed softly at his own joke. "I was _gonna_ ask you about your memory, but apparently it…." His voice trailed off when he noticed Aiden's faintly amused grin slowly fade into a troubled frown. "Oh… I'm sorry. That wasn't-"

"No, you're fine. It was just a joke." Aiden said, standing up before walking to Lukas and holding out his hand. Lukas clasped onto Aiden's hand. "I, um… I-I don't see you around a lot." Aiden stuttered shyly, grunting a bit as he pulled Lukas to his feet.

"Yeah. I've got work." Lukas said, starting to walk past him and down the hall.

"What kind of work?" Aiden asked curiously, following him down the hall. This was one of the most interesting things Aiden had experienced at the home and he was not about to let it go to waste. Unable to remember Lukas and not seeing him even with amnesia was almost like meeting a whole new person!

Lukas stopped at the door when Aiden caught up with him.

"I help with rebuilding the city and stuff." He said quickly, shifting from side to side. Aiden noticed his discomfort, glancing at the door and back at Lukas.

"Oh… um, what do you do _after_ your work? Is it long?" He asked quickly.

"Not really… I'm just really busy afterwards."

"Doing what?"

"I have to… you know, _go_ …?" Lukas said sheepishly, pointing to the door with his thumb and avoiding Aiden's eyes. Frowning a bit, Aiden gave a short nod.

"Right." He said quietly, turning around and leaving as Lukas did the same. Hearing the door squeal shut wasn't quite as relieving as it was earlier, but Aiden still felt somewhat glad to have some breathing space from the scrapbooks and trying to chat with the friends he didn't truly know.

He walked into his room and shut the door behind himself, flopping onto the bed. He lay there in silence, studying the interiors of his plainly painted room. He remembered Gill telling him it wasn't quite _his_ room. The whole house was completely brand new, rebuilt after the Witherstorm.

He looked across the room, seeing his meager belongings and books sitting on a wooden shelf on the wall near the door. There were books, a few quills, a Creeper mask and some other knickknacks Maya said he had accumulated over the times. In that corner he saw a double-chest, probably filled with more things like that. Maya had told him he had more, but that it was all lost during the Witherstorm. He had yet to remember if they were of any value to him.

He sat up on his bed, staring at the shelf of toys and mementos, small things he didn't feel belonged to him at all.

He hopped off the bed and walked over to the shelf, picking up one of the books, sliding his fingers into the bookmarked area and opening it to a blank page. He closed the empty book and put it back on the shelf, grabbing another and opening it.

He skimmed across the writings in it, finding nothing to interest himself with. He closed it and began to put it back but something shiny and red caught his eye. In the chest in the corner of the room, Aiden caught a glimpse of a small, red apple.

He walked over to the chest and opened it. He picked up the small apple, surprised that the fruit could fit entirely in his hand. He couldn't remember holding a fruit as small as that one as he rolled it in his hands, checking for blemishes or rot.

"This thing's tiny." He said to himself, holding it and looking at it. "I don't think I can remember holding an apple _this_ small…." he added, studying it closely. His hand trembled a bit and he started to remember something about apples.

As he held it in his hand, he remembered trees. But not just any random trees. They were trees he'd seen before someplace. Someplace… dangerous.

He was picking apples for someone, he could remember that. But for who? Why?

He walked over to his bed, plopping on the soft, springy mattress as he stared at the fruit. A yawn escaped his lips, brought on by a month's worth of sleepless nights. He couldn't remember the last time he had a good night's sleep. Like his memories, it was just another missing part of him he needed and wanted to get back. If he could just get his memories back….

Staring at the apple, it didn't take long for boredom and the peaceful quiet of the empty house to entice him onto his pillow.

"Maybe… maybe a nap would…." As his eyes shut, he heard the apple dropping to the floor as his breathing slowed and his mind blacked out.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Yay! ANFO, FTW! So I hope you guys all liked this story! Thanks for voting, everyone, and don't forget to leave a review! Episode 5 was my favorite episode, so you can imagine how thrilled I am to be writing this. Bye, everyone! Close it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: Okie dokie! (closes it)**

 **PS: For those of you who are confused, the apple's significance refers to an upcoming scene in MC:OM, but don't worry too much about it. It'll get cleared up next chapter! Bye!**


	3. Too Real for a Dream

**Author's Note:**

 **Yay! ANFO *confetti explodes*! Time for chapter two of the wonderful series! I'll be responding to reviews at the end of the chapter, this time. Well,** **let's get back to the amazing tale! Hit it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (hits it)**

* * *

 _As Aiden walked through the grassy plains, he looked up and saw the rolling hills giving way to a forest of oak and birch trees. His stomach growled as he began to think about the apples the trees would bear, but he knew his needs didn't matter at that moment. He had far more pressing things on his mind._

 _He looked behind himself and saw Gill limping slowly behind, tiredly carrying a skinny, colorless Maya. Aiden frowned as he stared at Gill's deathly pale skin and the purple bags under his eyes. He looked like a pale, ghostly tree ready to keel over at any second, crushing his soul like an unfortunate house beneath it._

 _His eyes trailed to Maya's frail, motionless body laid in his arms. It was a wonder Gill was able to carry her in that state, but Aiden realized it was because she was nothing more than skin and bone. Like Gill's, her skin was pale and her eyelids and nose were tinted with a deep, ugly shade of purple. It seemed she had the worst case of Wither, even worse than Gill's. Hers was in her throat, eating away at the sensitive tissues in her throat. It was like streptococcus turned lethal, putting her in so much pain that she was unable to eat or drink. She was virtually starving, and having such a terrible disease sped up the slow process of her death._

 _Aiden rushed to the trees and pushed through the lower branches and thick leaves with his left hand. He tried to ignore that came from his broken right-arm slung in Gill's bulky Ocelot-jacket. He caught sight of shiny, red apples at the end of a branch too high for him to reach. Following the sturdy branch to its place on the tree itself, he grabbed its base and started pushing it back and forth, the aching sensation in his arm quickly intensifying._

 _He quickly stopped when he heard and saw some of the fruit dropping to the floor. He walked to the apples and quickly picked up two of them with only one hand. 'Looks like the Witherstorm's sucking_ everything _dry,' he thought solemnly as he marvelled at the fruit's abnormally small size. Instead of full, healthy, sizable apples he had eaten before, they looked like old, dying prunes._

 _He ran to Maya and Gill, seeing that Gill hadn't even managed to catch up with him yet._

" _Guys, I found some more food." He said, holding up the apples for both of them to see, though Maya slept weakly in Gill's arms and Gill himself was too exhausted to notice. "Gill, I found some apples." He repeated. Gill heard him and nodded slowly, sinking to the floor and placing Maya at Aiden's feet. Aiden quickly handed him an apple before Gill crawled off to lie down._

 _Aiden knelt beside Maya, cradling her in his ams as he stared at her with teary eyes. She was emaciated, stick-like and light in his arms._

" _Maya, wake up." He said, gently shaking her cold, knobby arm, afraid he would've snapped her in two if he wasn't gentle enough."Maya," He delicately shook her frame again and her dull, blue eyes fluttered open. "Maya, I got you an apple. I can cut it up if you want." He said quietly and eagerly. He put the apple on the ground and pulled out the iron sword he managed to make during their long, hard time of survival. He carefully cut a small, flimsy slice of apple before quickly shaving off the sharp, red skin._

 _Holding her head in his arm as if she was a young, fragile, sick child, he slid the apple between her lips. When she didn't move, he glanced at her closed eyes, only slightly relieved by the faint rise and fall of her chest. "Maya, wake up. You need to eat." He said, shaking her again and harder this time. As soon as he saw her eyes opened again, he pushed the apple further into her mouth but stopped instantly when she raised a quivering hand to his own in a lame attempt to keep the fruit out of her mouth._

" _Maya, just eat the stupid fruit, please!" He begged, not willing to shove it into her mouth and watch her choke._

" _I'm sorry," She said, her Withered throat making her sound raspy and voiceless._

" _No, no, you're okay. Okay? Just…" He cursed under his breath. It_ wasn't _okay. "Could you at least_ try _?" He pushed the fruit further into her mouth, but she made no attempt to eat it, letting it sit in her mouth.. She didn't remove her hand from his, though her hold was weak._

" _I'm sorry," She whispered as her eyes slid shut and her hand fell to her side. Aiden stared at her as tears dripped from his wide eyes onto her skin. He had suffered through these attempts so many times before, but it still haunted him to know that he wouldn't be able to see her refusing food much longer. He whispered her name, shaking her softly to no avail. He pulled the slice out of her mouth and put it on the grass beside him._

" _Gill, she's still not eating." He said. When Gill didn't answer like he usually did, he nervously looked his way. His mouth hung open when he saw Gill laying face up on the soft grass, staring into the sky as the wind blew. "Gill?" He watched as Gill continued gazing aimlessly. "Gill!" He shouted, quickly and gently placing Maya on the floor before rushing over to him._

" _Gill, wake up!" He yelled, shaking him with vigor and fright as he tried to awake Gill from the strange, unnatural trance. "Please wake up!" He screamed, staring at Gill's glazed eyes as tears blurred his vision._

 _Gill finally awoke, gasping for air and blinking his eyes rapidly as they were flooded with light._

" _What happened?" He weakly asked, his voice taut with pain._

" _I don't know." Aiden stammered, his left hand twitching as he held onto Gill's sweaty shirt. On his bare hand, he could feel the heat radiating from Gill's chest alone._

" _I feel terrible." He moaned quietly. Aiden briefly placed a hand on Gill's temple, instantly confirming that Gill had a dangerously high fever. "I… I think... I'm gonna die, Aiden." He weakly added, making Aiden jerk his hand away from the side of his face, grimacing in shock at Gill's profound words._

" _No you're not! I saw a little pond nearby. You… you just need to get water, okay? You'll be fine." Aiden said, grabbing Gill's limp hand. He gave only a small, weak tug that didn't even lift him off the ground before Gill let out a drowsy cry of pain. Aiden immediately stopped pulling. He knelt beside him and pushed his left arm under his back._

 _He struggled greatly as he pushed Gill into a sitting up position. Gill's head rolled back and a short glance at his dazed eyes told Aiden he had gone back into another feverish trance. He staggered to his feet, panting wildly as he tried to support Gill's heavy weight with his weakened body._

 _He stood upright and his body quavered and threatened to collapse as he stood trying to remember where the pond was. When he took one step he felt his heart skip a beat when he felt himself falling over._

 _He fell to his side with Gill landing directly on top of him and he cried out as his arm was crushed yet again. He kneed Gill's heated body off his own, rolling over and squeezing his arm to himself. He loudly sobbed as waves of intense pain, physical and emotional, rolled up and down his entire body._

 _But when a hellish scream, the fearsome cry he had tried so hard to avoid, shook through the valley the sobbing stopped and he felt no pain. Only disbelief._

 _Tremors took control of his body as he slowly sat up, his voice and soul threatening to fly away. He turned in the direction of the monstrous noise and screamed when he saw the gigantic, black and purple beast roaming the fields. His cry must have attracted the beast, because it lay a shining, purple eyeball right on himself and his friends._

 _Screaming, he scooted himself backwards with his hand and legs, his eyes darting from the wretched best to his dying friends who lay on the ground completely unaware of the literal hell unfolding around them._

" _Maya! Gill! You have to get up!" He screamed, sitting completely still and hoping they'd hear him. But they lay on the ground, as good as dead in their state._

 _Aiden watched in horror as the Witherstorm roared, slowly approaching himself and his friends sizing up on them. His eyes darted back and forth from the beast and his friends, his heart hammering in his chest in sync with his short, shallow breaths. "Guys! Get up!" He screamed, forcing himself to crawl back to his friends. He grasped Gill's hand, squeezing it tightly. "Gill! Wake up!" He screamed again, shaking him by the arm to no avail. Still clutching Gill's hand, Aiden looked at Maya, his jaw agape with horror when he saw the light of a purple beam gradually crawling up her body and lifting her off the ground. "Maya! Noo!" He bellowed, letting go of Gill's hand and grabbing her by the arm and dragging her out of its way._

 _Another ear-splitting roar caught his attention and when he looked up, the Wither was glaring right at him with its purple eyes and gaping maws._

 _Aiden never knew what it was like to be unable to scream, but as he returned the glare to the bright, purple eye with a horrified stare he couldn't even whimper. He saw a purple tentacle slithering towards him like a menacing anaconda, but his bones were nonexistent, his body completely paralyzed. The long limb slowly approached him and his eyes followed it._

 _His breath constantly hitched in his throat and he squeezed Maya and Gill's hands, shutting his eyes and shivering viciouslyas he softly cried. He listened to the Storm's low, rumbling growls and bowed his head in defeat.._

 _Suddenly, a fiery hellstorm of pain took him over when the tentacle seized him by the neck and instantly pulled im into darkness._

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Aiden cried out, shooting up from his sleep. His body shook wildlyas he wept bitterly from the horrid nightmare. He hugged his arms and legs to himself, trying to stop the chills that swept through his cold, sweaty body.

As his sobbing softened into slow, labored breathing, he glanced around the darkness of the room, barely able to make out the shelf on the wall and what looked like another object in the corner… a chest, maybe?

He buried his head into his knees, trying to hide his face from the darkness that seemed to close in on him from all around. He didn't care how childish it seemed, him sitting there as a man of twenty years, tempted to hide under his blankets because of a nightmare. The dream just felt too real for him to consciously ignore. Too real to just be considered a dream.

It _was_ real.

He suddenly looked up, his eyes darting around the room. Where exactly was he? Suddenly even the darkness of the room was unfamiliar to him.

"Maya? Gill! Where are you guys?!" He shouted, thoroughly horrified by the eerie silence the darkness brought him. His shivering increased and he tried to suppress the cry he felt rising in his throat.

Outside of his cracked-open bedroom door, he saw only a black slither of blackness from outside competing with the white paint on the door. He wondered what lurked beyond that door. Monsters? Another person? Or….

Still shaking ferociously, he tried to think of his next move while pushing out graphic images of the purple mass whose name he dared not think of. Unarmed and clueless, he felt too vulnerable to move. But he knew he needed to get out, to find help or somewhere familiar and safe. But was there even anything left of human civilization?

He cautiously planted a foot on the floor, heedful to his uncannily silent surroundings. Trying to make as little noise as possible, he shifted to the edge of the bed and placed his other foot on the ground. He ignored the wooden floor as it creaked beneath his weight. He trembled apprehensively as he stood planning his next move, not daring to turn around.

Giving his plan of escape a rushed, but ration-lacking thought, he carefully felt around his darkened room, unable to see past his own hands though he made sure to be vigilant about the area. He felt his hand brush across something smooth and chilly. He thought it felt the way Maya's skin did while she was starving. Petrified, he jerked his wobbling hand away from the thing and gave a terror-stricken scream when he heard crashing all around him.

At the loud, startling noise he stumbled backwards, feeling a sharp pain shoot from his head to his neck when he hit his head on the bed's wooden frame. He scraped his way across the bed, still screaming in out-and-out fright when he fell off the edge and hit the back of his skull. He instantly reached out to grab onto something, his hand yanking the red blankets off his bed as he inched his way to the wall.

He pressed his back against the wall as he yelled for comfort and security he was so ripped of. His composure quickly slid down his face with his tears as he wept in the darkness, gripping the red blankets to his pounding chest.

His sobbing shifted into hoarse gasping and choking as his voice gave out and his lungs burned for air. As he slid the blanket over his face to hide from the bleak peril, darkness, he clamped a hand over his mouth to suppress his coughing and whimpering as he hid.

All day long Maya and a team of others had spent rebuilding a large section of Ender City. Repairing tall, brick townhouses and elegant, wide shop outlets was no easy task and Maya felt comfort when she saw the sun bidding them farewell.

She gave a tired huff as she wedged a heavy brick-block into its corner on the wall of a shop with her still shaky arms. She wished Gill had told them she hadn't fully recovered from starvation, but after spending just five minutes with the chief and her crew she didn't dare mention it.

But now her day was done.

She began to walk away from the building, stretching her arms and back and trying to ignore the glares the others on her crew of six sent her.

"Hey! Where do you think _you're_ going?" One boy scowled, catching the others' attention. Maya glanced around anxiously as each member glared at her with displeasure.

"Um… I'm going home." She answered, trying to keep her own vexation under control, though it was hard to ignore them like she'd been doing all day.

"Oh. _Okay_." The boy said, apparently rubbed the wrong way by her enraging answer. "You can go home, and the _rest_ of us can stay here and work our butts off. How typical of you."

"Um, what the heck are you talking about?" She asked accusingly, clenching her fists and sending him a dirty look.

"You know _exactly_ what we're talking about." A determined looking girl said, walking up to Maya with the other six following her lead. "You come here, acting like 'Oh, poor me! I'm not meant for heavy work'. And now you're ditching all of us, probably because you broke a nail or something." She accused.

"Yeah!" Another shouted, making Maya flinch. What was with these people?

"You thought taking off the jacket would fool us, but you were wrong. You could've at least tried changing your _attitude_ , Maya." The boy said in a nasty tone of voice. Maya grimaced at their harsh attitudes as the other six glared back at her. "You know what? Just _go_." He finally said, dismissing her with a rude wave of his hand.

"Yeah! Go!" The others shouted behind her as she quickly rushed off with a red-face and teary eyes.

She wiped away tears as she walked to the chief administrator who sat at the front of the construction site by a wooden table.

"Can I go home?" She asked, staring at the man's messy desk with papers and clipboards strewn across the table, along with some pins and an empty mug of coffee.

"What?" He snapped, shutting his eyes in an attempt to tolerate her presence. His mouth was twisted into a vexed frown.

"I was asking if I could go home." She repeated timidly as he stared at his papers instead of her face and clicked his pen furiously. He gave an annoyed sigh before opening his eyes to face her.

"Why do you need to go home?" He asked.

"I'm… I have to-"

"Would you hurry up, please?"

"I am! I'm still recovering from starvation, and I also have a friend who's injured and-"

"Where is he? Is he here?" He asked, sitting up in his chair and staring right at her.

"No, he's at the house. He's home alone and he might need help." She explained. He gave a sigh, reclining in his chair and folding his hands with bitter, cruel patience she didn't require.

"Fine." He barked out, turning away from her and glaring at the floor. She quietly muttered her thanks and rushed off, hoping Gill would figure out she left.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Okayzies, then! Think I'm gonna end this here at 3K words. Think you know what's up with Maya and her crew? I tried not to make it** _ **too**_ **obvious, but I think that may be the case. Now, onto reviews! (by now, you'll prolly see why I'm doing this at the end)**

 **DynamiteHunter6: The feels are about to get on, so prepare yourself!**

 **rebekahtpe: Still think apples are awesome? (evil laughter)**

 **Emily The Avenger: ThanksforreadingandI'mgladyoulikethisbutpleasehitthespacebarhiyaaaahhh!**

 **So… I think that's it! Thanks for reading and reviewing, so bye!**


	4. And Then it Hit Him (Re-Uploaded)

**Author's Note:**

 **Heya, everyone! I'm the Gamerwhogaames, and welcome to this update of ANFO! Well, let's take some reviews before we get started!**

 **SwaggyKitten1405: Over? OVER? Sweetie, we're nowhere near through! Buckle yo seatbelt!**

 **Anonymous (ooh! nice name! XD): Oh, gee. I hope those first few chapters aren't scaring folks away. That aside, I'm glad you still gave it a chance and like the story! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Alrighty, let's do this thing! Hit it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (hits it)**

* * *

Maya walked into the house and turned on the lights. She peered around the quiet, empty living room, wondering why they were off in the first place. Aiden had a crippling fear of the dark. It started with his first few, intrusive memories about the Witherstorm. Aiden had no idea what a Witherstorm was, or any recollection of the events leading up to it. The fleeting images of huge, purple clouds and bright, pink eyes left him ridden with sweat, terror and confusion. Often, he was alone when the memories hit. Once Maya found him shivering in the basement. To make matters worse, it was nighttime. He'd been alone and afraid for hours, locked up in total darkness.

Maya walked to his bedroom to check on him, hoping he was asleep. She walked inside and breathed a tiny sigh of relief. His lights were out, meaning he must have been sleeping. But when she glanced at his bed, her eyes widened in surprise. It looked as if he'd wrestled his way out of bed. His mattress was stripped of its covers. On the floor, his pillow lay askew a few feet from the bed. Disbelief and nausea grappled in her stomach as she rushed to his bedside, her eyes frantically darting around the room as her heart hammered in her chest.

She deliberately stood straight, pressing down the urge to frenzy around the house in search of him. This was _not_ the time to let panic take over. If anything, she needed to calm herself and think soundly. _Aiden_ needed her to calm herself and think soundly. Her heartbeat slowed down as she breathed slowly and deeply. She quieted herself almost completely as she tried to soundly process the mystery of the empty bed. In the silence, another sound reached her ears. Her heart jumped in her chest and she listened closely, holding her breath. Someone else was in the room. And crying.

"Aiden?" She asked to the darkness. She flinched when a dark mass of covers shifted in a corner. A pair of hands grappled to rip them off, revealing a petrified, pale-faced Aiden. He stared at Maya with glistening, fear-filled eyes, the blanket growing and shrinking as he panted wildly. His eyes almost perfectly mirrored Maya's, full of confusion and dread. He let out an anguished groan that erupted into a cry of desperation and terror. His scream shook Maya to the core.

"Why am I seeing things?!" He screamed into his shaking hands, his body shaking with sobs. Maya's senses jolted into her like electricity and she jumped for the lights, bolting to Aiden's side seconds later.

"Aiden! You're not seeing things! You're not seeing things!" She pleaded, reaching for his shoulder. A curse erupted from him in an unrecognizable voice that made her wrench her hand back.

"Yes, I _am_!" He screamed, bursting into tears soon after. The agony in his voice left Maya feeling numb. Never in her life had she seen him in such pain, physical or emotional. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she didn't dare make a sound.

Sorrow, fear and anger dripped down Aiden's face as tears that melted into his green sleeves. He dug his hands through his brown hair, barely resisting the urge to rip clumps of it out. He felt the large, hard knot on his head and the soreness in his neck. Did he really hit his head that hard? He never hallucinated before, and how he suddenly missed those days. Fear glued his eyes shut, keeping his face hidden in his arms. Fear of the hallucination itself, and fear of what would happen if he truly opened his eyes. This figment of his imagination was the closest thing to Maya he'd ever see again. He wasn't ready for her to disappear forever.

Maya held back the sobs that climbed in her throat. Aiden was more than teetering on the edge of insanity, and her voice would push him right over. It was hard to think of ways to console him as his loud, jerky wails filled the room. What was she supposed to do to convince him she wasn't a ghost? She sucked in a puff of air as the thought crossed her mind. Never in her lifetime did she see herself thinking something like that. Just the same way she never thought she and her two friends would be on the run from a giant, world-eating monster. But here she was. One of many survivors of a world-eating monster. And trying to convince her friend she wasn't a ghost.

What could she do that a ghost couldn't? She could walk, talk, sing. But a ghost could do all those things, too. And give Aiden a heart-attack. Just as quickly as she shooed out images of Aiden keeling over with a busted heart, an idea popped into her head. There was one thing she could do that a ghost couldn't and she was going to do just that. Nerves steeled, she reached out and placed a gentle hand on Aiden's shoulder. He threw off the covers, stumbling back with a yell. Back against the wall, he stared at her as he took it all in. Maya waited quietly, hoping her plan worked.

Aiden opened his mouth and closed it again, disbelief holding back his voice. It… _she_ touched him. He felt it. His body shook as he tried to put the pieces together. Eyes fixed on her, he slowly reached out to touch her. His finger met her cheek for only a second before it instantly jerked back. She was real, alright. Real, alive and well. Suddenly he threw himself at her, wrapping his arms tightly around her and pushing her to the floor. "Y-you're alive?" He choked between loud bawls.

"Yes. I'm alive. We're all okay. It's okay." She whispered, reaching around to hug him. Hearing her voice matched to such relieving words made him cry even harder.

As they lay in those sob-stricken moments, Aiden' weeping quieted. He sat up, still holding her close as he breathed heavily. "I th-thought you guys were dead." He stammered, his voice strained and quiet from his screaming and crying. Maya's concerned eyes met with his. In addition to making her heart freeze up yet again, his words made her think. Why would he say that? Did… did he remember?

"Why would you think that?" She watched the look of relief drain from Aiden's face along with his blood. He tightened his grip around her, his breathing suddenly fast and ragged.

 _Why would I_ think _that?_ He let go of her and dug the balls of his wrists into his eyes, trying to shut out the barrage of traumatizing memories.

Maya watched him, regretting asking her question. She didn't need to imagine what torture he was in with his memories back. She knew what it felt like. At the sound of his stifled crying, she reached out to hug him. "Aiden, I—"

"Shut up!" He suddenly seized her skinny arms, still weak from her near starvation. "Don't _ever_ ask me that again! Don't say _anything_ about it! Do you understand?" He shouted. His enraged voice blared in her ears. A squealing sob escaped her, but Aiden wouldn't be satisfied with her pathetic whimpering. His wrathful eyes searched her face for an answer. Her cries rang in his ears, making his head pound even more as he lost his patience with her. " _Do you understand?_ " He screamed, shaking her like she was a stubborn animal.

"Yes! Yes! I'm sorry!" She wailed. The instant he loosened his death-hold, she jerked away from him, spluttering her apologies and hiding her reddened face in her hands.

Aiden sat on the floor, glaring at her as his heart pounded away in his sweaty chest. Bile rose in his throat as anxiety stirred around the contents of stomach. He ran a hand down his sweaty face and groaned, tremors rattling his body. He pulled his knees to his chest, crying like a young boy. Fear and loathing clung to his chest with each breath. His weeping gradually ground to a stop, and he let his knees slide to the floor, staring dazedly ahead at the shelf on the other wall. His body ached and he felt like his head was on fire.

Maya's blubbering reached his ears and he tiredly turned to her. Squeezed into a corner and hiding her face, she wept in the darkness. His eyes slowly trailed to his hands laying at his sides. He imagined them clasped tightly around her frail arms until they turned white. Guilt snapped like a huge stick in his heart, making him ache with sorrow.

"Maya, stop crying. Please." He inched over to her, wrapping his arms around her. "I'm sorry for yelling. I'm sorry." Tears spilled from his eyes again that night as he held her in a warm, repentant embrace. Too shaken to move, Maya lay limp in his grasp, sniffling softly. A few moments passed.

"It's… it's gone, isn't it?" His voice teetered between hopeful and horrified. Maya found the strength to wrap her arms around his back.

"Yes. It's gone. We're safe now, Aiden." Both heads and hearts pounding, they sat in silence before sweet rest took them over. For reassurance, Aiden held her tightly, fearing he'd wake up the next day and she'd be gone. He knew he'd never be ready for that.

But he wouldn't dare speak a word of it. Or anything else. As his heavy lids slid shut, he swore to himself and to Notch. He'd never bring anything up again. Not the Witherstorm, not his or his friends' death, and definitely not this night. And heaven help whoever dared bring it up.

Gill had been commissioned to swing an axe at trees for the entire day, a job that left his back needing as much repairs as they were making on the city. He and his crew had worked long, hard hours, swinging axes at trees from sun up to midnight. It turned out it took quite a supply of wood to rebuild an entire city. On the streets of Ender City, under the bright moonlight, Gill decided it was time for him to head home. But not before a well-deserved stretch. He dropped his worn, iron-axe to the ground, pulling an arm behind his back as he stretched his back. He sighed in satisfaction, feeling bones popping and releasing tension.

"Hey, you with the beard!" Gill flinched and turned to face the voice. A shorter, brown-haired man bearing an axe of his own ambled up to him. A tired scowl was etched onto his face even though he tried for a weak smile. A defensive scowl trickled across Gill's face, a sufficient mask for his sudden onset of guilt and unease. "You tired or something?"

Gill held his breath. "Yes." The man laughed, leaving Gill to wonder if it was humor that spurred it or spite.

"Of course, you are! You've been working here all day. Just get home already." The man said, giving a friendly smile and a hearty pat on the back that did more harm than good. Gill breathed out when the man was out of earshot. That was one of the nicest things said to him all day. The _only_ nice thing said. Even without the infamous Ocelot jacket, he was still recognized as one of them. One of Jesse's bullies. And a constant target for the public's harsh punishment for his deeds.

He grumbled to himself as he walked right past his axe, not caring to pick it up. He was tired and, frankly, didn't want to talk to any manager who'd do Jesse any favors. That's what they thought it was: A favor. Stealing his lunch, tripping him whenever they got the chance, hiding his axe, crowning him with names he'd never call anyone else. All favors to Jesse and a reminder to Gill to never mess with the Leader of the New Order of the Stone again. A mixture of anger and regret bubbled in Gill's chest. Sure, if he'd known Jesse would save to world from a Witherstorm he wouldn't have been so harsh on him. But he didn't remember bullying everyone in town.

The walk home was quiet and bitter. It had been a long day for Gill. A long, harsh, lonely day. He wished he'd been able to work alongside Maya instead of with the rude jerks who defended their "lord Jesse". He didn't even want to think about what Maya's day was like.

Gill walked into the house, satisfied to see the well-lit rooms. Aiden was doing fine, like he'd hoped. Too tired to check on anyone that night, not even Maya, he walked into his room and flopped onto the bed. He lay stomach-down on the bed, beginning to drift off to sleep. Dissatisfaction jolted him awake. Something just wasn't right. He glanced around his dark room, making sure everything was in place. His lights were out. The door was open in case Aiden needed anything. Everything _seemed_ to be right. He lay on his side, staring at the wall as he checked off more lists in his head. Then it hit him. Annoyed at his own ignorance, he rolled onto his back, shutting his eyes and immediately falling asleep. His loud snores filled the room, just the way he liked it. Everything was perfect!

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Aww, Gill can't sleep unless he's snoring. What a cute way to end such an emotion-ridden chapter. So, I'm gonna try to get things really moving next chapter. I hope I'm not boring anyone, and I want to get things moving down the line. Like, for instance, Aiden's reactions to Lukas hanging out with Jesse. But that, my friends, is for another chapter.**

 **So, I just wanted to add that scene in with Gill, giving some insight to Maya's treatment and eventually his own. I know it might seem like I'm victimizing the Blaze Rods, but I'm pretty sure a few people recognized them as Jesse's bullies. The word spread, and soon Jesse had a "little army". Maybe some of them were stupid fans who somehow wanted to rub shoulders with Jesse. Maybe some of them legitimately thought they were doing Jesse a favor. But they were doing way more harm than good. Jesse probably didn't know about it, so what was he to do about it?**

 **I'm sure everyone wasn't after Aiden's hide, but the few that were probably were pretty vocal. Well, enough theories for now. Close it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (closes it)**


	5. Famous by Association

**Author's Note:**

 **Hey, everyone! And welcome back to another chapter of ANFO! *confetti explode*. If you've read the last update of "Elevator", you'll see I said I'd be changing up my writing style a bit. Hope you guys like it! Reviews will be at the end, so let's go! Hit it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (hits it)**

* * *

Maya woke up in Aiden's arms and sighed. She felt like she was waking up from a nightmare, except without the relief of knowing it wasn't real. Aiden's arms around her were like an echo of the way he grabbed her. She tried to relax, pushing out the painful thoughts with sleepiness.

But how could she? Aiden had his memories back, and that wasn't something she, Gill or Lukas could ignore. He'd be different, for sure. How long would it take to get him back on his feet? Days? Weeks? Years?

The door creaked open and she looked up. She was too tired to truly react, but if she had the energy, she would've flinched out of Aiden's arms. Gill stood stock-still in the door, his face etched into a surprised, mad scowl.

"What on _earth_ are you two _doing_?" He asked quietly, forcing himself not to yell. Either he didn't want to wake Aiden up, or he was sparing himself and the others something gruesome.

"Gill, let me explain!" She shifted some to face him, "I came home last night and I found Aiden in here, crying. He's got his memories back. We talked for a few minutes and went to sleep. Besides that, I swear, nothing happened."

Gill looked at them with a skeptical eye. But he quickly saw her story to be true. Not only did Maya still look extremely tired, Aiden was also wrapped in the blanket, closing himself off. He sighed, running his hand down his face. "Alright."

He walked over to Maya and sat down, yawning as he leaned on the wall. "So, he got his memories back?"

"Yeah. He certainly remembers us dying." The brunette said, lowering her head. Gill frowned and reached for her shoulder.

"Hey, it'll be alright, Maya. We'll get through this, I'm sure."

"I know. It's just… he's got a long way to go… like we do."

"Yeah, but we've still come pretty far in… dealing with everything. Don't worry."

A few moments of silence passed. Aiden's eyes fluttered open and he breathed deeply and stretched. He felt Maya still in his arms and smiled, relieved she hadn't disappeared. When he looked up and saw Gill, he let out a small gasp. He sat speechless, like a kid under a Christmas tree opening another present. Except this wasn't just a present.

"Hey, man." Gill said quietly.

Aiden tried to speak, but no words came out. Maya and Gill were alive. And safe from that beast, the Witherstorm.

The Witherstorm?

His happiness came to a screeching stop. Fear crawled across Aiden's mind, wrapping around like those black, ugly tentacles. Suddenly, his mind became a frenzy of black and purple, dead friends, darkness—

"Are you okay, Aiden?" Gill's concerned voice broke Aiden out of his daydream. Though it was more like a nightmare. That's when Aiden realized he was frowning and crying.

"N-no—I mean, yes, I'm fine." He stammered, wiping away the tears. He looked at them and put on a smile. A fake smile. He looked around the unfamiliar room. "Where are we? This isn't our house."

"Oh, yeah. This is our new house. We had to rebuild everything." Gill said with a grin. "Actually, Lukas and I worked together to…." His voice trailed off, and he looked away, frowning.

"You guys built this?" Aiden asked. "Where _is_ Lukas, anyways? I really want to see him!" He virtually ignored the upset look on Gill's face.

"He's probably out there on the couch." He said, avoiding Aiden's eye contact. Aiden shuffled out of the covers and walked out the room.

Maya crawled over to Gill, sitting in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her, ready to go back to sleep. But Maya sat up and kissed him gently on the lips. He smiled with surprise as she pulled away. "Well, what was _that_ for?"

"That was my apologizing for giving you a heart-attack earlier." She said. He leaned in to kiss her back with more passion. Now it was Maya's turn to smile back. "Well, what was _that_ for?"

"That was me _accepting_ your apology. And I did _not_ have a heart-attack. I don't scare _that_ easily, now."

"Well, you did today."

"Oh, shut up and go to sleep." Gill said, leaning back and pulling her onto his chest as he shut his eyes. Needing their sleep, the happy couple quickly dozed off.

Aiden wasn't quite sure how he found the living room, but he didn't care. He looked around, anxious to find his long-lost friend. He walked up to the couch, peering over it from behind. A smile crossed his face and immense joy filled his heart.

Lukas lay there, sleeping quietly except for a low snore. But that was going to change very soon.

"Hey, Lukas!" Aiden shouted, unable to hold himself from jumping over the couch. Aiden came down hard on Lukas, making the blonde yell in pain and surprise as they fell to the carpeted floor.

"Aiden?! What are you doing?!" Lukas shouted as Aiden squeezed him like a grape. Soon, Aiden's soft crying reached his ears and he stilled. "Aiden, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm f-fine." He stammered.

They both lay there, Lukas wondering what Aiden's deal was. 'I'm fine' didn't' give him much insight to the question. But the more he thought about it, the more obvious the dilemma was. The random crying, the 'I'm fine's, the hugging. It had all been there when Gill, and eventually Maya, came around.

He waited silently as Aiden's crying died down. They both sat in front of the couch, though Aiden kept hugging.

"Aiden… do you still have amnesia?" Lukas asked cautiously. He knew he was stepping on quite sensitive ground.

Aiden hesitated, swallowing back his nervousness. "No," he smiled again, "but I'm fine." Lukas eyed him, clearly unconvinced. Aiden's smile clearly juxtaposed the worry and tears in his eyes. "Seriously, I'm okay." Aiden said in response to his lingering gaze.

Lukas looked at the floor. "Okay, then. Good to have you back, I guess." He said, giving him a friendly slap on the back. Aiden laughed a little.

"So, what're you doing today?" Aiden asked. Lukas's eyes widened in shock. He stood from the couch, turning to face the clock in the kitchen.

"Crap! I must've slept in!"

"Slept in for what?"

"I told the guys I'd meet them at nine to get back to rebuilding." He said, rushing to the door. Aiden followed closely behind, completely clueless.

"What guys?" He asked, following Lukas to the door. Lukas swung it open and stepped outside.

"Just some guys at work, Aiden." He said, reaching for the knob and pulling it shut. Aiden stood, too stunned to move or speak. In a word, that was fast. A strange sadness, a longing, set in, making him feel empty inside. But before it could get the better of him—and his tears—the door opened again. Lukas poked his head inside.

"You wanna come?" He asked. Aiden nodded, giving a relieved grin.

They walked outside together to the build site. But along the way, they were met by a gaggle of girls who seemed a bit too fond of Lukas for Aiden to handle. As they left the scene, Aiden sent Lukas a confused look.

"What was that about?" He asked.

"Oh. Just some fangirls."

"Fangirls?"

"Yeah, I'm kind of famous now. Well, by association, anyways." He said sheepishly.

"With who?" Aiden asked, making Lukas slow his pace. The blonde sent him a worried look.

"So… remember that night at Endercon when we were all separated?" Lukas regretted his question when Aiden stopped full on in his tracks. The brunette stared at the gravel road, fists clenched and eyes wet. He shut his eyes and sighed, trying to think of something else.

"Yeah, whatever." He growled, walking right past Lukas. Lukas speedwalked to keep up. Aiden glared at him. "Well, you were saying?"

"Are you sure, Aiden? We could talk about something else, if you want."

"No, no, tell me about… this," He gestured with his hands, sending Lukas a grin, "your… famous-ness, or whatever. I wanna hear."

Lukas felt a swell of anxiety in his stomach. "So… I got stuck with Jesse and his friends." he said, not noticing Aiden's sudden glare. "Anyways, Jesse defeated the Witherstorm. Now he won't stop giving all his friends most of the credit, which he says includes me. So, famous by association."

Whether Lukas realized it or not, his words were doing way more damage than he or a whole team of builders could fix. Now, Aiden wished he'd stayed home.

"Aiden, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Let's just… go to wherever you're supposed to be." He growled. Lukas gently grabbed Aiden's arm.

"Aiden, you're angry. Why? What's wrong?" Lukas asked quietly, trying to retain their privacy.

"Nothing!" Aiden hissed back, wrenching his arm away. "Just forget it, okay?" But there'd be no forgetting this pain. Not in a while, and definitely not now. Arms crossed and heart hammering, Aiden marched alongside Lukas.

By the time they got to the site, Aiden was in no mood for work. Or anything. But the overseer had other thoughts. The "volunteer" work was actually quite _in_ voluntary for whoever was able. Aiden may have been angry enough to cause a wildfire with his glare alone, but he was able. So, work it was.

As he slapped down bricks in the midday sun, he let his thoughts wander, and to dangerous places, too. There was just no shaking the fact that Lukas went on a joyride with Jesse and his band of losers while Aiden and his two friends died nearly _twice_ looking for him. It caused an anger in him that cracked the bricks as he slammed them down on the cement.

"Hey, calm down, buddy! Those don't grow on trees!" Another worker shouted at Aiden. He ignored him, only making a mental note to be gentle on the bricks. He sighed, trying to get rid of some of his anger.

"Back to work, you." A voice grumbled. Aiden turned to face him. The person looked to be younger than him, and in no place of real authority. Aiden glared at the worker.

"Well? Get back to work!" Another chimed in. Aiden turned to face her, and then his heart dropped into his stomach with fear. She wasn't the only one on his tail that day. Aiden found himself in the "council" of not two, but at least seven other workers. Each of them glared at him. But _none_ of them had authority, or frankly years of age, more than he did.

"I _was_ working." He growled quietly. "Why don't you take your own advice?" He added spitefully.

"Whatever!" They sneered. He listened as they, one by one, left him to be. For that moment, anyways. Throughout the day, he'd glance up to see a few glares from random passerby. Sometimes it'd be just a look, other times the disdainful shake of the head. But for what?

The work, the stress and the heat made his head pound. He reached up, surprised to feel a sizable knot on his head. A flicker of a smile crossed his face. A valid excuse out! He began his walk to the front desk to give his notice for the day.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Wow! That writing style's doing wonders! In my older style, we wouldn't have even gotten past the living room scene before hitting 2K words. So, I guess that means updates are gonna be a bit better, and have more stuff packed into the chapters.**

 **REVIEWS!**

 **Writer: You're a lifesaver! I never would've noticed that without you! Thanks for your compliments, and for saving the story!**

 **NinjaNaranja: I'll keep writing!**

 **Ariza Luca: Thanks! Jesse really wouldn't appreciate those "favors". The public should've caught on that Jesse didn't really mention wanting to get back at the Ocelots/Blaze Rods.**

 **Well, in the next update, we'll do a bit more probing of Aiden's past before Episode 5, so stay tuned, my dudes! Close it, Crisper!**

 **Crisper: (closes it)**


	6. A Tip

**Hey, guys! And welcome back to ANFO! Sorry for not uploading in so long. I have this thing called Crippling Plot Perfection Disorder, and it's been holding me back from pressing this upload button. Too afraid to make mistakes, you could say. But it's time to shove fear aside and get writing! You know what Ms. Frizzle says: "Get messy, make mistakes"!**

 **Crisper: And today I'll get messy, make mistakes, and see what happens when I dump water on this sodium chloride.**

 **Me: Yay!**

 **Crisper: (explodes it)**

When Aiden got home, he went straight to his bedroom for a number of things. To cry, to sleep the aches away, and to think. It was easy to cry. His nap was riddled with nightmares and he only slept a wink. But it was hardest of all to think. But then again, it was hard _not_ to think. With the emotional stress he was in, Aiden was supposed to be resting. But instead he was thinking about huge, purple monsters eating his friends. Angry townspeople who bullied him for no reason. And Jesse. Getting cured of his amnesia and "waking up" to such drastic changes made Aiden feel like he'd been born yesterday. But the rest of the world didn't care. If he was awake, he needed to get with the times.

As the days wore on, he learned more and more about Jesse through Lukas, the townspeople (some nicer than others), and Maya and Gill who were just as shocked and dumfounded as he was. Jesse, Axel, Olivia, Petra, Lukas and the Order of the Stone had teamed up to defeat the Witherstorm, though Jesse and his gang did most of the work, earning themselves the title of the world's heroes. Now that there was no world to save, they had treasure to find. They were constantly going on adventures and bringing home some of the greatest things! Everyone adored them, and the new bullies turned out to be overzealous fans. At first, Aiden couldn't stand to know that Jesse was loved and popular with everyone in town, but he had to learn to get used to it like Maya and Gill were still trying to do. Lukas tried to get them to see the better side of things, like the fact that the Witherstorm was gone and everyone was safe. But to them, that was something a friend of Jesse's would say.

Though Aiden wasn't too fond of Jesse the Hero, he couldn't deny that things were getting better for himself and his friends. As the weeks passed, Aiden started to get a handle on the frightening memories he held, though it was a rough, nightmare-riddled experience. The townspeople were even starting to let off of Aiden, Maya and Gill a bit, though they did encounter the zealot every now and then. But having his friends close by made things easier. According to Gill, Lukas was spending much more time with them all than when Aiden had amnesia, and they were grateful to have him around. Having all of them at the house together and slowly getting over the Witherstorm, Aiden felt like things were starting to get back to normal.

Then his life decided to take a neck-snapping U-turn.

Aiden was sitting on the couch, interesting himself in a book when he heard footsteps behind him, a sound he was hearing almost every day now. He turned around and saw Lukas heading to the door. "Lukas, where are you going?" He asked, even though he knew what his answer would be.

"Oh, I was gonna go hang out with Jesse and his friends."

"Like you did yesterday? You're not even hanging out with us anymore!" Aiden shouted, shifting his position on the couch to glare at Lukas.

"Yes, I do. I spend lots of time with you guys."

"And you spend lots of time with them, too. _Too much_ time with them! What are you guys doing that's so important, anyways?"

"They're having a picnic, and they want me to come. I'm their friend, Aiden. I can't say no. And I don't _need_ to, either."

"Yes, you do! Before you know it, you're going to be spending _all_ your time with them!" Aiden barked. "I knew this would happen." He muttered to himself, glaring right at Lukas.

"I'm gonna go, Aiden." Lukas said, rushing to the door and leaving. Aiden heard the door shut and he slid down on the couch, opening his book and trying to focus on reading. But how could he when adrenaline was rushing through his veins, making his heart palpitate and his fingers tremble? He chucked the book across the couch. Instead of landing on the couch, it flipped onto the floor with a loud smack that annoyed Aiden more than he felt anything ever had. He felt stuck in a time-loop; this wasn't the first time Lukas had left for Jesse. Something in Aiden always expected things to play out like this, but nothing could prepare him for it.

The more he learned about the New Order and their accomplishments, Aiden noticed a sick pattern about Jesse during his rise to power, a common denominator that bothered him more than words could explain. Everything that Jesse had now used to be his. The fame and fans wherever he walked, the girls cheering for him whenever he smiled, the shine of the glorious limelight, all of it once belonged to Aiden the Ocelot. Now it was all Jesse's to hoard, but he couldn't just let up there. He wouldn't. Jesse was going to steal everything from Aiden, including his friends. As if drunken on fame and pride, Jesse wasn't even trying to be subtle about it. At first the visits were every now and then, but now Lukas was barely at the house for days at a time. But they were 'still friends', as Lukas always reminded him before he left. Even though he was spending all his time with his "new friends". Who would Jesse steal from him next? Maya and Gill showed plenty of disdain for Jesse and the New Order, but anyone could change his countenance if it meant fame and happiness, two things they all craved. Jesse was a selfish bidder. Were his friends going to be his cheap sellouts?

He stood from the couch and walked to the door. He didn't know how or when, but he was going to get back at Jesse some way. If only he knew how. He walked into the city, rubbing his arms as a chilly breeze whooshed past. The sky was cloudy and it looked like it was about to rain, making him wish he'd brought his leather jacket with him. But he'd rather be pelted with rain than insults. As he walked, he thought more and more about everything Jesse was doing to him and his friends. If they were even friends anymore. But his silent, angry walk was interrupted when he bumped into a stranger. The woman he'd bumped into had a cheery, bright smile and beaming eyes, the exact opposite of his scowling, gloomy face.

"Oh, didn't see you there, sorry." She said quickly. Aiden rolled his eyes and started to walk past her. "You seem upset. Something wrong?"

"It's none of your business." He said as he brushed past her. She turned around and followed him.

"I'll bet I can cheer you up with something!" She said sneakily, a tricky smirk on her face.

"I'll bet you _can't_." He said, a strong dose of sarcasm on his "happy" tone, a dose he hoped would send her away. But the girl didn't seem to sense the sarcasm or his rigid tone, only the wide smile on his face and the challenge he proposed.

"Okay, so I was walking with these other guys and we saw Ivor telling the leader of the Order of the Stone something—" She stopped when Aiden suddenly groaned out loud, clenching his fists and eyes shut. "Is everything okay?" She asked, but went on talking before he could answer. "So, he told him something about this treasure and they're going to go out to get it! It's supposed to be something to lead them to an even _bigger_ treasure! But that was all I heard." She looked back up to see Aiden had completely frozen in his tracks, staring at her with shock. "Um… are you okay?"

"What did you say?"

"I said 'are you okay'."

"No, before that." He said, walking up to so that their faces were inches from each other.

She nervously backed away, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "Oh, well, I said that Ivor told the leader of the Order of the Stone that there was some treasure, and they're going to get it. But that's only the half of what I heard. I'd tell you more, but it looks like you're really busy and I just wanted to cheer you up. It made _me_ really excited anyways." The girl was right when she said that she'd be able to cheer Aiden up, even though it wasn't happiness he was experiencing. That would come much later. Aiden toned down the surprise in his face, inching away from the girl a bit to avoid seeming overly eager.

"Um, could you tell me a bit more? Everything?" He asked quietly.

" Oh, sure! It might take a little while, but—"

"Oh, no. Take as long as you need. Please." He said, giving her a cool smile. A smile that was a bit too toothy and wide. The girl gulped softly then continued.

"Um, so, the treasure's at this temple in the jungle, and that's all I really know. They're going to be leaving later next week, Saturday, I think, and there's going to be a celebration the day they leave. The New Order's going to be there to wave goodbye." She said, becoming more and more unsettled by Aiden's almost predatory gaze. "The treasure's going to lead them to something really important, but ." She said apologetically.

"No need to be upset. This is quite enough." He said sweetly, reaching out to pat her on the shoulder. He sent her one last smile and a cocked eyebrow. "Looks like you managed to cheer me up." He said with a wink, making her giggle nervously. He went on his way, leaving behind as atisfied, yet frightened, girl. The chance-meeting turned his entire countenance around, but for better or for worse?

Getting back at Jesse was something Aiden really wanted to do right now. But this was something much better than that. This Eversource was going to be a one-stop shop for… everything! Not only would he be infinitely better as a treasure-hunter than Jesse and Gabriel combined, but he'd also have an unlimited share of diamonds, emeralds, iron, gold and anything else he wanted. Forever. Who knew how much a walk outside could help with plotter's block? The ideas were coming and fast, and they were all good.

The future seemed bright. Except for the suddenly pouring rain. As Aiden rushed home, using his arms as an umbrella, he found himself smiling for the first time in a few days. If Jesse thought he was going to be doing any more treasure-hunting, or friend-hunting, he was dead wrong.

 **(No reviews!)**

 **Well, this is what I've come up with so far. I've got two extra chapters coming up soon (they're already done. I just need to proof them and get up the guts to hit "Submit"!), so hold onto your pants!**

 **If you've seen/studied up on episode 5, when Jesse and Petra meet Lukas in their Hall of Fame, Lukas tells them about Aiden. If Jesse asks how Aiden knew about the temple, he'll say 'He got a tip from someone in town'. So, yeah. Here's that.**

 **If you want me to write a different story (or stick with ANFO and MCOM til they're finished), head over to my profile page! I've got a poll up there I'd love for all of you to take concerning which story I should publish next, if you want me to publish anything new.**

 **Here's to being courageous enough to hitting Submit every once in a while! xD!**

 **Crisper: (closes it)**


	7. Preparations

When Aiden got home, he actually had something to smile about. He was absolutely giddy with vengeance as he quietly shut the door behind him. The house was quiet, the lights off. He walked to the couch and heard rather than saw Gill sleeping on the couch. Maya was snoozing in his arms, of course. He turned and darted for his bedroom. He shut the door and fell onto his bed, laying face-up and staring at the ceiling. The soft drumming of the rain outside and the cool, dim atmosphere relaxed him too much, making him feel very sleepy. He wasn't getting the sleep he needed, and now his body was trying to make due for those restless nights. He sat up in bed with a determined scowl, deciding that he could make due later.

He drummed a finger on his thigh, trying to concentrate through the anxiety and keep himself awake. Jesse was going to be leaving sometime next Saturday. It was Tuesday, which meant he had more than a week to get prepared. But how would he prepare? What exactly did he need to do? He snatched a notepad and a quill off his nightstand, opening it to a few scribbles of poetry he'd tried writing. He flipped past those to fresh pages and bit the feather's tip in thought. When any idea popped into his head, he made sure to jot it down. _Armor, weapons… new sword._

Armor and a new sword sounded expensive. He leaned over and took off both of his shoes where he kept most of his money. What better hiding place for his savings than his shoes he always wore? He shook the shoes and the emeralds, gold nuggets and iron he had fell onto the bed. After a quick count, he realized that he just enough for a very good sword and maybe some armor. In other words, not enough. Maybe he could pull together some more during the week, or Gill and Maya could pay for their own tools? If they wanted to join him, of course. He was sure the promise of jungle treasure would far outweigh the price some armor cost, and they'd be stupid to turn down his offer. Very stupid.

Weapons and armor were only a small part of the plan, though. Now he needed to figure out what to do to get the treasure. Only Jesse seemed to know where the temple was, so Aiden knew he'd have to follow him. In addition to the party, he remembered the girl say that Jesse and his friends would be formally waving goodbye to all their fans. This, Aiden thought, would give them the perfect opportunity to follow them to the jungle. _Follow Jesse after party_ , he scribbled. A low chuckle escaped him as he thought of how sweet it would feel to win Jesse over again, just like the old days. When things were normal. After they followed Jesse into the jungle, they could do two things: They could try to scare Jesse off and find the treasure on their own, or they could let Jesse do all the work and _steal_ it. With a smirk, he jotted the second idea down. It was definitely a keeper.

Within minutes, Aiden had a steady plan that was almost too simple to be true! But it was a plan nonetheless, and one he intended on keeping. He tore out the page he used, folded it, and pushed it into his pockets. Then he scooped his money back into his shoes, arranging it so that it wouldn't hurt his feet, and put them on. He walked out of his room into the living room where Maya and Gill were still sleeping on the couch. His lips pursed with upsetedness. He wanted them to be awake so he could tell them his plan. He knew he had plenty of time for all of them to get ready, but the sooner they knew, the better.

"You look excited. What's up?" Came a voice from the kitchen. Aiden looked across the room and saw Lukas sitting at the table with a book.

"You're back from your little picnic?" He asked, a hint of spite in his voice.

"Yeah, it rained." He answered, ignoring Aiden's tone. "So, what happened with you?" He briefly looked Aiden over, noticing that, in addition to looking damp, he looked like he was holding in some great news.

Aiden glanced at Lukas, wondering whether or not he should tell him about the plan. That was something that friends did, and it didn't feel like they were on very friendly terms. But maybe telling Lukas about the plan would make him want to join him! Besides, Aiden felt like he was going to explode if he didn't get it out. "I have a plan." He said cautiously.

"Plan for what?"

"To get some treasure." He anwered, walking over to sit down. Just talking about the treasure made him feel excited, and suddenly he wanted to tell Lukas everything. "There's this temple, out in the jungle somewhere, and that's where the treasure is. We're going to go get it." He said, noticing the look of surprise on Lukas's face.

"You mean the same treasure Jesse's out to get?"

Now it was Aiden's turn to look surprised. "Yeah. How'd you know?"

"They told me about it while we were picnicking. They seemed pretty pumped," he paused, "and so do you. Um… how'd _you_ figure it out?"

"Got a tip from someone in town. And we're getting that treasure. I'm making _sure_ of that. I've already got a plan set together." He pulled out the folded paper and waved it around Lukas's face before putting it back.

"Why do you want it so badly? Since when were you even into treasure-hunting?"

"That doesn't matter, Lukas. I think this is a great plan."

"I know you do, but it's just—"

"What?" Aiden leaned forward, glaring into Lukas's eyes. The blonde took a moment to measure his words before speaking.

"I really want to know why you're doing this. You don't like hunting treasure, but when you figure out that Jesse's going out to the temple, you want to do the exact same thing. It just seems… off."

"I'm doing this because I want to. What's so wrong about that?" He scowled. "Worried I'll make Jesse mad if I get it first?"

"No. I'm more worried about what it'll do to you if _he_ gets it first." He said gravely. Aiden's eyes popped with his surprising, accurate words. Lukas sighed, rubbing his temples. "I'm going to take a nap. Just let me know if you need anything, Aiden." He said, standing up and leaving Aiden alone to his thoughts.

One side of Aiden really did consider what Lukas said about what might happen if Jesse got to the treasure first. But another louder, angrier part only promised that wouldn't happen. Aiden was going to get that treasure and show Jesse up, and nothing was going to stop him. It was more than obvious that Lukas didn't like the idea of his plan and wasn't going to be joining them. That was fine. The less people to share this treasure with, the more it left for him. It made him actually start to hope Maya and Gill felt less inclined to join him, but he knew that he needed extra hands if he wanted to get the job done. Confronting Jesse was easier thought about than done, especially with a certain fierce redhead ever at his side.

He heard shifting noises on the couch and looked to see Gill sitting up with a loud yawn. A smile crossed his lips though he felt nervousness tugging at his stomach. It was time for them to pick sides.


End file.
